Legislature briefs

May 2, 2013

Written by

| Register staff and wire services

DNA sampling expansion approved

Legislation to expand DNA sampling of people convicted of certain crimes was approved by the Senate on Wednesday, although it sparked a passionate debate in which opponents contended civil liberties are being eroded in the fight against crime.

House File 527, as amended by the Senate, passed on a 29-20 vote. The measure now returns to the House.

Iowa currently allows DNA sampling for anyone with a deferred judgment or a felony conviction. Sen. Steve Sodders, D-State Center, the bill’s floor manager, said the bill would expand DNA sampling to those convicted of certain aggravated misdemeanors. That would include serious crimes of theft, assault, drug violations and other offenses resulting in prison terms.

Sodders, a Marshall County sheriff’s deputy, said the expanded legislation would help officials solve crimes and exonerate innocent suspects.

Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, spoke against the bill, saying there is a delicate balance between safety and liberty: “Whenever you deal with individual liberties and you start to scale back those liberties, it becomes a slippery slope” toward erosion of rights.

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, also opposed the legislation, cautioning that taking DNA samples goes much further than simply taking fingerprints.

Healthy Iowa Plan rejected in Senate

The Senate refused Wednesday to accept the House-approved version of Gov. Terry Branstad’s Healthy Iowa Plan, sending a policy dispute over health care for low-income Iowans to a conference committee.

The Senate voted 26-24 to reject the House version, with Democrats against Branstad’s plan and Republicans in support. Senate President Pam Jochum passionately defended a proposal by Democrats to add about 150,000 Iowans to the state’s Medicaid program.

Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan, urged consideration of Branstad’s plan, which would provide health care coverage to some 89,000 Iowans living under the federal poverty line. Other Iowans would receive tax credits to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance.

Farm downsizing bill passes Senate

Environmental activists expressed concern about pollution risks Wednesday after the Senate approved a measure that would allow livestock producers to shutter some barns and be subject to less state oversight.

The bill, approved 43-6, makes it easier for some farms to downsize by allowing them to close barns and be reclassified as small operations. Then they no would longer need to file plans for manure disposal with the state.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement argued that the measure would let farmers store manure in those idled barns, which could lead to water-polluting spills.